Fever Through the Snow
by Ena6Ena
Summary: After Korra regains her bending, Team Avatar decides to stay in the South Pole until the ice breaks up and allows a ship for Republic City to arrive. But what happens when their enjoyable vacation is interrupted by a certain lovable Earthbender becoming dangerously sick? It's up to Korra and Naga to quickly bring Bolin through the treacherous tundra and back to the city for help!
1. Chapter 1

((Hey! Thanks for coming to read~ this is just a short fic without a major point to it. Just writing it for the sake of writing it. Fluff, I guess? Anyways, I'm not going to be putting a lot of pairing stuff into it. I know Mako and Korra hook up, but I'm not really into the show for the pairings. I love the bromances and friendships~ lol

Anyways, enough of my chattering~ Here you go!))

. . .

Despite the incredibly recent stress and the fact that Korra ran away from here in the first place, she enjoyed the visit home. She had reveled in the challenges and experiences she was faced with in Republic City, able to stave off the homesickness she had been feeling. At least, most of the time. At the moment, it was great to see her parents again. She felt a little bad for her terrible mood recently, and not showing as much happiness as she should have when seeing them. Now that her stress was alleviated from her bending returning to her, she felt unrestrained in making up for it.

Not to mention that it was fun having her parents meet her new friends. They were all important to Korra, deserving their hospitality and family activities. Sometimes… Korra could see the longing in Mako's eyes as he spent time among her parents. It was easy to tell that he direly missed what he lost ten years ago. Korra was fine with sharing her parents. But it wouldn't ever really be the same. Asami was a little sullen at times, though she did enjoy herself overall. It was just that the estrangement of her father was still fresh.

Bolin, however, was now having an excellent time. He enjoyed the home cooking, the over-abundance of snow, and even being given the chance to borrow a polar bear dog for a while to ride around on. Although it wasn't incredibly well trained by people following Korra's example, the animal managed to not throw Bolin off too many times. And though Korra could tell that he missed his own parents, he was definitely unrestrained in showing his joy over being around Senna and Tonraq. The couple were used to having the 'enthusiasm' of five children crammed into their only child, so three extras weren't that hard.

It was a bit disappointing to everyone that they were leaving in a week and a half. Besides Tenzin and his family, who needed to return on their sky bison a few days prior. She couldn't help but hope that the ship would get stuck on the way over. The ice was still breaking up, making it hard for the ships to come to the closer port. There was the farther port, but they weren't in that much of a rush. One more week or so wouldn't matter.

At least, not yet.

It started with a bit of a flush on his cheeks, as if from fever. The region they were in was cold, though, so it was equated to the cold. Then he grew a bit quiet at times, as his appetite also decreased. Then he began to shiver. Even in a warm room.

It truly became apparent that Bolin was sick on the day that he collapsed. Mako had noticed Bolin's declining state, keeping an eye on him despite his reassurances that he was absolutely fine. Korra and Asami didn't really pick up on it until Mako gave a passing remark about how he was acting rather…. un-Bolin-ish. They were instantly convinced when Bolin suddenly went limp and fell to the side at dinner. He had been very quiet, only picking at his food up until that point. Then his gaze grew a bit hazy and distant. Before anyone could notice and stop it, he was on the floor.

"Bo!" Mako shouted in heavy concern, wide-eyed and in a panic as he rushed over to his brother's side. Korra and Asami gave Bolin a bit of room to breath as Senna came forward to check on him.

She felt his forehead, easily declaring, "He has a serious fever. Tonraq, please bring Katara!"

As her husband rushed out into the cold night, Mako and Korra together helped carefully move Bolin to Korra's bed in the other room. They had been staying elsewhere close by while visiting, since Korra's home was a bit small, but that didn't matter right now. He needed to lay down on a more comfortable surface than the floor right now.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Korra tried to reassure Mako. "It's probably just a nasty cold."

Mako didn't respond, just staring down at his brother as Pabu came up to cuddle by Bolin's neck. The earth-bender's breathing was raspy and labored, as he had a pained expression. Senna and Asami waited at the front door for help to arrive while Mako and Korra stayed by Bolin's side.

It almost felt like a year had passed before Katara entered the room. Korra breathed a sigh of relief, though Mako couldn't help but remain worried.

"I heard about what happened. Let me take a look at him," she said, joining them. Everyone gave her space as she checked Bolin. She took note of his temperature, how his pupils responded to light, how his breathing sounded, and the appearance of the back of his throat.

Senna had brought a bowl of water for her, assuming that the healing Waterbender could use it. Katara did in fact use it, keeping cold water around her hand on Bolin's forehead. "I know what this is…" she quietly let out, looking too serious for comfort. "He managed to catch an infection in his throat. I thought that the small epidemic here was done for, and sent the apothecary doctor back home to Republic City. It seems that it lingered."

"Is it something we can just treat with Waterbending?" Korra asked.

Katara solemnly shook her head. "Waterbending can alleviate the pain. But he needs medicine and treatment. And we ran out of the bit the doctor left behind recently. He also left the South Pole to retrieve more supplies. He isn't expected back in the area for another two to three weeks."

"How long… how long can we wait to get the medicine? Will the ship get here in time to take us back?" Mako hurriedly asked.

"It's unlikely. He needs the medicine and a doctor as soon as possible. Most likely, this infection itself can't kill him. The complications of it going untreated, however, can do much worse," she answered.

Korra bit her lip, staring at Bolin. _Tenzin… Why couldn't you stick around to visit for just a little while longer? We could have flown him back…_

But it wasn't his fault, and it did no good to dwell on the what-ifs. Now they had to focus on what to do. Korra knew the best option, though no one else would like it.

"So what do we do? What if he….." Mako trailed off, unable to finish his question. There were so many things that would happen, and thinking of all of the possibilities killed him inside.

"Isn't it obvious? He needs to be taken to the open port, and onto a ship to Republic City," Korra confidently spoke up.

"Korra, that's a four day trip on foot," her mother responded.

"That long? Are you crazy, Korra?" Mako let out after hearing that. "There's no way we could risk that trip. We can't take him four days through the cold!"

The young Avatar felt a bit frustrated, and even upset, that Mako spoke to her like that. She made herself disregard it, though, knowing that he was just very concerned for his little brother. "That's why I didn't say 'we' when I suggested it. I'll take him. He and I will ride Naga, and cut that time down by half with only the two of us on her, maybe even less," she replied.

"Both of you _alone_? Through the frigid weather and frozen land? That doesn't sit right with me at all," Mako protested again.

"What do you mean 'both of you alone'? You have a problem with the two of us traveling?"

"No, it's not that! It's just too dangerous! There are wolves out there! It gets way below freezing at night!"

"I know that, Mako, I live here! I know how to handle it!"

"You personally do, but can you handle yourself _and_ a sick person?"

Senna cut into their conversation before the argument escalated. "Katara, what do you think?" she quickly asked, silencing the two youths.

Katara went silent, looking away as she thought. "Honestly… Korra's idea is the best chance that Bolin has right now. It has its risks, but I trust her. Bolin can't afford to wait another week or two," she said.

"… I just think it's too risky," Mako said. "Two days of rough travel in the cold with hungry, wild animals lurking about… It's not safe, especially with Bolin so weakened." Bolin was his little brother, so he believed he had the ultimate say.

"So what you're saying is you'd rather watch him die here," Asami harshly stated, looking towards the ill Earthbender. She flinched, looking away awkwardly.

Everyone turned to see Bolin was awake, listening to what they had been saying.

"Hey, Bo," Mako quietly and tenderly said. "How are you feeling?"

"… I'll go with Korra," he hoarsely let out.

Mako's brow furrowed at that. "I don't think that's the best idea. You need to rest, not be jostled around in the cold," he responded.

"I can do it… I can handle it…" Bolin weakly insisted.

"Bo…"

"Trust Korra… We can do this… I'm strong…" he slowly let out, though it was hard to believe him, with how terrible he sounded.

Mako looked to Korra with a pained expression as Bolin closed his eyes.

"Believe in me. And more importantly, believe in him," Korra tried to convince him without pushing too hard.

Senna was about to speak up for her daughter, but was silenced by her husband placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. This was between friends.

After a long pause, Mako finally responded. "Alright. I'm putting my trust in you to take good care of him."

Korra nodded. "We'll leave early in the morning," she said. The young Avatar left the room with her mother to start preparing for the trip. Katara followed to provide some extra advice.

Asami looked to Mako as he sat by his brother's bedside. Despite everyone's reassurances, he couldn't dispel the look of severe worry from his face as he watched Bolin sleep a bit restlessly. She approached Mako quietly, restraining herself from touching him. She didn't know what was acceptable in terms of interactions, now that it was over between them. Their friendship was a bit strained, but it would never truly break.

"Korra will safely take him to the open port. They'll board the ship back to Republic City, and she'll get him the help he needs. I know she will," Asami softly said.

"I wish… I could go with them… Waiting for the nearest port to reopen is going to be agonizing. I don't think that we've ever been separated for that long," he sighed.

"Well, maybe Korra can have Tenzin come back with Oogi, and take us back early. You… might want to suggest that to her, though. She tends to get over-focused on immediate tasks," Asami chuckled.

Mako cracked a slight smile. "I bet once Tenzin knows what's going on, he'll do it. But it's worth mentioning," he said.

Asami nodded, looking to Bolin.

This wasn't going to be easy on either of the brothers.


	2. Chapter 2

((Chapter 2! Yay! I'm not going to threaten you with no updates unless you review, but I would appreciate reviews. I love the feedback you guys give me~ If you have the spare moment, I would really appreciate it!

Enough of me begging. Let's start this chapter~))

. . .

The sun was barely rising over the horizon as Korra packed up their supplies. She packed lightly, but with enough to get them by for the trip. She attached the bags to Naga's saddle containing the food, blankets, and other emergency supplies. Senna brought out a water skin for Korra.

"I know you typically don't use these, but if you need water in a hurry, it will be useful," she insisted.

"I understand. Thank you, Mom," she said, going to pack it in the bags. And with that, they were ready to go. She made sure Naga had something to eat so that they could get a good start.

Korra looked to her home as Mako brought out Bolin. The ill Earthbender tightly held onto his brother's arm for support, slowly making his way over. Bolin was already bundled up in warm clothing and an insulated jacket with a hood. He was well prepared for the South Pole's cold. "Alright, so how are we going to do this?" the older brother asked, looking sullen.

"Well, typically you seat the injured or sick person in front to hold onto them," Korra said.

"You'll be traveling long distance, though. His head will need support if he falls asleep. Otherwise his throat could get worse from his head falling forward," Senna said.

"But if I seat him behind me, he could slip off," Korra replied.

"We'll just have to secure him to you," Asami suggested. "Do you have any strong cloth or rope?"

"I think we have something," Senna said, rushing back into the house. A minute later, she came back with Tonraq. He has a strong strap of hide that would work just fine. He showed her the proper technique to tie it around themselves, making an X-crossed shape across Bolin's back, with the strap going over Korra's shoulders and under her arms like a backpack.

"This will work," Korra said with a confident smile.

"Good. You just be very careful, Korra," Senna said, coming over to hug her daughter.

Tonraq took Bolin over to Naga, the polar bear dog lying on the ground to make getting up on her easier.

"Korra," Mako said, stepping forward after she was released from her mother's embrace. He unwrapped his scarf from his neck, going to wrap it around her neck instead.

"Mako, if anyone needs this, it's your brother," she protested.

"It's alright, he has Pabu," he said.

Korra looked over, noticing the fire ferret going to stick his head out from Bolin's drawn-up hood. He was curled around the back of Bolin's neck, taking shelter in his hood. "Mako," Korra went to protest with a worried look. She was worried about Pabu getting hurt, lost, or maybe even frozen. He was so small, and not built for the cold despite his fur.

"Please… Korra…" Mako quietly let out, with a pleading look in his eyes.

Korra sighed, looking back to Bolin and Pabu, then back to Mako. She smiled a little bit, tightening the scarf around her neck. "… I feel safer already," she softly let out.

Mako went to embrace her, touching his forehead to hers. "Take care of him… Please…"

"Of course," Korra said. She broke away from Mako, heading over to Naga. Bolin was already seated towards the back of the saddle, allowing enough room for Korra in front of him. She got up into her usual spot, having him shuffle a bit closer so she could tie him to her. Once he was secured, she had Naga slowly stand up.

"You remember the way, don't you?" Korra father asked her. They had been on numerous hunting and trading trips to the port. As least, before they started secluding Korra at the compound. He couldn't help but worry, since it had been so many years.

"I do. Don't worry," she confidently reassured him.

Tonraq dug into his pocket, pulling out his special compass attached to a strong cord. He offered it to Korra, who hesitantly took it.

"Dad… your compass," she said, worried about taking it.

"You need it more than me," he insisted. "Now get going, make the most of the daylight."

She nodded, putting the compass around her neck and tucking it into her jacket. Korra took one last took at her friends and family, before urging Naga forward.

Naga broke out into an even run. Korra couldn't bear to look back at everyone as they grew further and further away. Especially Mako, who was having the hardest time letting go. Of the both of them.

. . .

The first few hours went pretty well. Naga managed to run pretty smoothly through the snow, without jostling her riders too much. This would be the easiest part, running across the relatively flat tundra. Another few hours would bring them closer to the cliffs and jagged ice, where they would have to be incredibly careful.

Bolin kept his arms wrapped around Korra's waist. She could tell whenever he went to sleep by how loose or tight his grip was. He was really quiet, though, whether he was awake or asleep.

Pretty soon, Korra would stop for just a little bit so they could have lunch. Naga needed a rest, too, even though she knew that the polar bear dog would push herself to keep going if Korra really wanted her to. The jagged ice wasn't too far away now. They could find cover there while they rested.

So far, so good.

Within another two hours, they reached the first hazardous area in their trip. The area was full of sharp frozen water, chasms, and slippery slopes. Korra slowed down Naga as they got closer. Finding a familiar entrance, she directed her towards it. They reached an empty shelter, Korra recognizing this area as a camping space that she, her father, and their other tribe members stopped in. There was the pathway at the other end leading deeper into the jagged ice.

Korra stopped Naga inside, having her lay down. She carefully untied Bolin from her, quickly catching him before he slid off.

"Bolin, wake up. We're stopping for a little bit," she said.

He slowly opened his eyes, looking around confusedly. Korra helped him down, seating him on the ground so that he was lying back against Naga. She went to dig through their provisions, looking for something light to eat. With a smile, she took out a tin of fish stew for Bolin, and some preserved sea prunes for herself.

"I hope the stew is for me," he hoarsely joked, not really liking the taste of sea prunes.

Korra chuckled in response. "I know, it's an acquired taste," she said, putting them aside for the moment. She first used her Firebending to heat up the stew. Almost forgetting the spoon, she looked through the bags again to find one. Fortunately, her mother remembered to pack it. With their lunch prepared, Korra took a seat beside Bolin. She carefully handed the tin to Bolin, along with the spoon.

The young Avatar kept a close eye on her friend as she started eating her prunes. He was a bit shaky and slow, but was managing to feed himself. He even gave a few spoonfuls to Pabu, who instantly lapped it up.

After only managing to eat about a quarter of it, he handed the tin back to Korra. "I'm finished…" he let out.

"You should eat a bit more. You need to keep your strength up," Korra insisted. "We still have a long way to go."

"… It hurts to swallow," he admitted.

"I see…" Korra let out. "Hold on." She took the tin and put it aside. Returning back to the saddlebags, she retrieved the waterskin her mother gave her. Recalling Katara's teachings last night, she drew a bit of water out of it and charged it a bit with healing. Kneeling in front of Bolin, she directed, "Here, drink this."

Bolin opened his mouth obediently, allowing her to bend the water into his mouth. He carefully swallowed as he was told, grimacing just a little. He then sighed in relief. "That helped. Thank you," he said.

"Good. Now eat some more," Korra demanded with a smile, handing the tin and spoon back to him.

. . .

After a short rest, Korra packed up their things again, returning them to the saddlebags. She carefully shook Bolin a bit, as he was starting to drift off to sleep.

"Not yet. Let's get going first," she chuckled. She got him back up onto the saddle, and then mounted in front of him. She made sure to secure him to her again, knowing that this would be one of the worst places for a mishap. Feeling a bit bored around Bolin's neck, Pabu got out to sit on Naga's neck as she rose up again.

"Pabu, you be careful. I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to you," she said, though she didn't even know if the fire ferret understood. After double-checking to make sure they had everything, she urged Naga forward into the jagged ice. She made sure to take it slow, knowing there could be slippery patches of ice buried anywhere under the thin layer of snow.

Bolin was asleep again, his grip on Korra slackening a bit. Korra sighed, thoroughly worried about him. They seemed to be making good time so far, but anything could happen out here.

They made their way carefully, following the narrow paths through the ice, sharp and icy cliffs on either side. They eventually reached a big open area, Korra remembering this path.

She was dismayed to find a huge chasm had opened up in the clearing since the last time she had been here. Looking to the left and the right, she wasn't able to see where they could get across. "What do you think, guys?" she asked the animals, though they couldn't really respond. Though, Pabu and Naga looked to the left. The path was much narrower around the chasm that way, but perhaps it was the right way to do.

"Alright. Let's give this a shot," she said, trusting animal instinct and allowing Naga to head to the left. Korra had to admit to herself that she was a bit frightened. Usually she was the adventurous type, and things like this didn't daunt her. It was the fact that she had a practically debilitated friend right behind her that worried her. If anything happened here… Korra didn't even want to think about it.

The path grew even narrower as they went along, though fortunately it wasn't very slippery. Up ahead, though, there seemed to be a way across. Her furry companions were right in taking this way, which was a great reassurance.

But as they reached the bridge, it became apparent that it wasn't fully formed. There was a gap between the ice protruding over the chasm and the other side. Naga would typically be able to jump this, having easily jumped with four people on her back. Though it was just Korra and Bolin this time, it might jostle Bolin a bit too much. Korra looked back, realizing that there was no room to turn around.

She sighed, going to pet Naga's neck. "Be very careful, girl. You have fragile cargo here," she said. Korra made sure to check that the saddlebags were secured and Bolin was firmly attached to her. "Alright, let's go."

Naga headed forward, getting to the beginning of the bridge. Pabu quickly scampered up on Korra's shoulder, wrapping himself around her neck and grabbing tight to Mako's scarf. As soon as Korra spurred her, Naga bolted across the bridge. She got a good running start, fully capable of jumping over the 10-15 foot gap at this rate.

Korra's eyes widened as she heard the sound of cracking beneath them. Just as Naga jumped, the bridge under her shattered, dropping down the deep chasm. The polar bear dog had managed to get a relatively good push off the edge as it had begun to crumble.

But it wasn't enough.


	3. Chapter 3

((Gotta love cliffhangers! Especially literal ones! Har har har~ Okay, onto the next chapter!))

. . .

Naga dangled over the edge of the icy cliff, her front legs fully over the edge with her paws clinging to the flat top of the icy cliff. Her back legs frantically tried to push her up the side. It was too flat and slippery, Naga beginning to slide backward. Korra held onto her polar bear dog's harness for dear life, Bolin's weight pulling her backwards. Somehow, he managed to stay passed out cold for this.

"Hang on girl!" Korra loudly grunted as Naga whined. The young Avatar used her legs to squeeze Naga's sides tightly. He let go of the harness, falling back a little. Using her control over the element of ice, she quickly pulled a shelf of ice out from under Naga's hind legs, giving her something to stand on. It was big enough to where the large animal could let go of the top edge and stand fully on it. Korra gave a sigh of relief, pulling Bolin and herself forward again. To the right of the shelf, Korra formed a set of strong stairs for Naga to climb up.

The polar bear dog quickly headed up the stairs, reaching more solid ground. They were finally across the chasm, a bit disgruntled, but safe. Naga laid down panting a bit, fully exerted from trying to claw her way up. Korra reached forward, petting her neck in comfort and gratitude. Her wildly beating heart was calming down now, along with the heavy adrenaline rush subsiding.

She looked over her shoulder to check on Bolin as Pabu returned into his pulled-up hood. The fire ferret tenderly licked his bright red cheek in comfort.

His fever was getting worse.

. . .

They finally emerged from the jagged ice, back onto even ground. They lost a bit of time from that near-fatal experience, so Korra would have to travel through the night just a bit.

They took it slow at first so Naga could take it a bit easier. When they were really in the clear, Korra had the polar bear dog break into a run. She checked the compass, making sure they were heading in the right direction. At least Naga was glad to be running again, rather than moving slow enough to not slip on ice.

Korra was enjoying herself just a little, though she felt a bit bad for feeling that way. Despite the reason for their journey, she always enjoyed traveling.

They traveled for another few hours as the sun was relatively close to setting. Korra gave Naga a small rest, knowing that the next time they stopped, it would be through the night. She frowned at the clouds above them, able to tell that they were bringing a snowstorm. Hopefully it wouldn't be too heavy, though how dark they were wasn't very reassuring.

Bolin gave a few weak coughs from being her as they both remained attached up on Naga's saddle, his breathing growing a bit labored again. Korra worriedly retrieved the waterskin from the saddle bag, going to open it. She shook her shoulders a bit to shake him, attempting to wake him up.

"Bolin. Come on, I need you to wake up for a minute," she urged. Eventually with enough coaxing, his eyes opened a bit. "Hello there, sleepyhead. I want you to drink some more water, okay?"

Bolin nodded a little, looking up to Korra. She charged the water with healing energy, hoping to sooth the pain in his throat. She managed to twist herself around a bit so she could see where she was aiming. Still leaning his head against the back of Korra's shoulder, the Earthbender opened his mouth so she could direct the water in. He roughly swallowed with a grimace. Korra sighed, going to draw out some more healing water. "One more," she softly said. He obediently gulped it down again.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, having some snacks ready before dinner. Bolin didn't audibly respond, closing his eyes. "I'll take that as a no… We'll be stopping in just a little while."

Korra had Naga get back up, urging her forward again. It was just beginning to snow now.

And there were wolves howling in the distance.

. . .

The large snowflakes coated the travelers as night fell, the temperature dropping significantly. Korra had wanted to cover a bit more distance, but it was near impossible to see at the moment. With a frustrated groan, she had Naga come to a halt.

"Lay down, girl," the young Avatar demanded. Naga did as she was told as Korra started to untie Bolin from herself. She carefully got down, making sure that Bolin didn't fall as he laid on the saddle without Korra for support.

Finding a bit of a hill in the snow and ice, she quickly used her bending to dig away some snow. She continued burrowing deep into the frozen tundra, clearing out a small shelter large enough to fit them all inside for the night. Korra returned to Naga and Bolin, pulling Bolin down. She hoisted him onto her back, going to carry him inside. Naga followed, close to having to crawl on her belly to get in.

After leaning Bolin back against Naga on the ground, she went to partially seal up the entrance. There was a bit of space to allow air inside, yet covered enough to keep the snow and cold out. Despite the fact that the shelter was dug into the ice, it was actually warm and insulated.

Korra took off her jacket to let it dry overnight, setting it aside and going to get the blankets. She went to take off Bolin's jacket, Pabu jumping out of his hood. As soon as he was out of his jacket, he instantly started shivering. She quickly pulled a blanket underneath him so he wasn't sitting on ice. She then wrapped him in two blankets to keep him warm, Pabu curling up on his lap. Korra frowned at the fact that he was still passed out. She felt his forehead carefully, wincing at how hot he was. She would give him so more cool water to drink along with dinner.

Korra brought out two tin canteens of fish stew and spoons for the both of them, going to heat them with Firebending again. When it was ready, she sat beside him. "Bolin. Wake up, it's time to eat," she said, nudging him. It took some more nudging and shaking, but he managed to come to.

"Here," Korra said, going to hang him the tin and spoon. Bolin pulled his hand out of the blanket so he could take it. His grip was too weak and shaky, though, as he almost dropped it. Korra managed to catch it as Bolin gave a tired huff.

"Do you need help?" she worriedly asked.

He hesitantly nodded a bit in return, looking a bit ashamed.

"It's alright, don't worry about it," she said with a reassuring smile. She turned to face Bolin, taking a spoonful of the fish stew and offering it to Bolin. He submissively and slowly ate a few spoonfuls before turning away.

"Bolin, you can't be done. That was barely anything," she argued.

"Not hungry…" he hoarsely said, then let out a few rough coughs.

Korra flinched a little at the sound of that. "… Then how about you drink some of the broth from it?" she offered.

Bolin looked reluctant, but had no choice as Korra brought it up to his lips. He drank a little bit of it, managing to get down about half of the broth in the tin. "You should have some water, too," Korra said, pulling out the waterskin again.

Bolin groaned, feeling too tired for all of this.

"Come on, Bo… Please do it for me," Korra tried to coax him. "You said last night that you were strong enough for this."

He sighed, turning his head back towards her. Korra had him drink three mouthfuls of healing water before letting his succumb to sleep. It really worried her to see him in this state. She was so used to him being energetic and happy about practically everything.

After eating her own dinner, and giving Pabu a bit of it to eat, she pulled up a blanket over herself. She stared at Bolin for a short while, who was shivering despite the fact that he was lying back against Naga's warm stomach while wrapped up in blankets. Without much hesitation, Korra moved over to get underneath his blankets. She cuddled up to her friend to share her body heat for the night.

Bolin relaxed a bit in his sleep with Korra there, despite the amount of heat radiating off of him. Korra felt asleep while praying that she didn't make the wrong decision in attempting this journey.

. . .

The Earthbender wasn't any better in the morning. If anything, he looked worse. His complexion was one that only a sick person could have, pale yet flushed with a slight hint of blue. Korra quietly got up and out from under the blankets, Naga's head perking up at the sound.

The young Avatar walked over to their dry jackets, summoning some fire around her hands. She moved her hands back and forth to warm up the jackets a little bit. When they were adequately warm, she brought them over to Bolin. With a lot of careful maneuvering, she was able to get the jacket on him. He woke up a little bit, but seemed to be really out of it.

"Another day of traveling," Korra said with a small smile. "Just hang in there, we'll back in Republic City before you know it."

Bolin nodded a little bit, and then closed his eyes. He was asleep again in no time.

Korra made sure everything was packed up and ready to go. She unblocked the shelter's entrance, then came back for Bolin. Naga crawled out first, Korra following with Bolin on her back.

Not wanting to waste any time, Korra instantly got herself and Bolin situated on Naga. In a few minutes they were ready to go, with Bolin strapped to Korra, Pabu curled around his neck in his hood, and all their supplies secured to the polar bear dog.

They got a good start at the crack of dawn. Progress was slightly slower than normal because of the thick blanket of snow, but Naga managed to get through without bouncing her riders around too much. For several hours they traveled like this, getting closer and closer to the port.

Korra was definitely pleased that they were making up for the time lost in the jagged ice. They were now among the snow-covered pines and rocky slopes, familiar traces that told her they could probably get to the port before nightfall.

As it got closer to noon, Korra felt strong pangs of hunger. It was definitely time to eat something, especially considering she skipped breakfast in order to get going early. Not to mention that she needed to get some food into Bolin.

Korra stopped Naga at the edge of a pine-tree grove. They would have to go up the rocks and around it, the trees too close for them to get through without getting smacked with branches. When it was Korra traveling with her father and others, getting through here was no problem.

Definitely feeling the chill now that they were at a standstill, Korra tightened the scarf Mako lent her, smiling at its warmth. It was a good scarf. And so far, she liked how safe it made her feel, like Mako had once said.

That feeling was dispelled as Korra and Bolin were slammed off of Naga's back.

A pack of wolves from the forest were now upon them.


	4. Chapter 4

((I'm so glad that you guys absolutely adore my cliffhangers! I mean, who doesn't love them?

This is me using sarcasm, by the way.

Okay, without further ado, the next chapter!))

. . .

As Korra wrestled to untie the harness keeping her and Bolin together with a 70 lb wolf on them, said wolf went to bite at Bolin's head. It managed to get a jaw full of his hood before Naga walloped him off of her riders. The young Avatar used this quick opening to undo the strap while Naga batted away the wolves that lunged at her.

Korra was instantly up, hastily throwing fireballs at the wolves coming at her and Bolin. Her bending was sloppy and hurried, the wolves easily jumping out of the way. Fortunately it at least kept them at bay for now. Bolin had been awoken by the clamor, his consciousness hazy at best, but awake enough to know that they were in danger. He grabbed Korra's jacket, managing to stand up.

"Get behind me!" he ordered him as she sent a wave of fire towards the wolves. There were around nine of them now, having the group completely surrounded.

"I-I can help," Bolin insisted, coughing right after his offer.

"No! Don't exert yourself!"

The Earth Bender ignored her, stomping the ground to send a ridge of frozen earth at the wolves. It managed to hit one, but with barely any strength. The wolf had recovered in only seconds, angered by the hit.

Overall, they just weren't giving up. Korra didn't blame them, being that their own defense was terrible right now. Naga has sustained a few bites from the attacks on her, though the wolves were a little less interested in the polar bear dog now. Whenever they jumped forward, they attempted to dodge the heavy swings and get to the smaller targets. If they managed to grab Korra or Bolin, that might be it.

"Bolin, stay back!" Korra demanded again.

She was relieved when Bolin let go of her, though was concerned by the sound of him hitting the ground. She couldn't afford to look behind her, but she could tell anyways that he was out.

Naga let out a yelp as a wolf latched on to her right foreleg, breaking skin. Korra couldn't help but turn back to burn the wolf off of the polar bear dog. As soon as she managed that, she was tackled by two wolves. They ripped at her jacket and pants, one managing to give her hair a good yank.

She couldn't help but let out a scream of both pain and fear, seeing out of the corner of her eyes that Bolin was being dragged off. Naga managed to leap forward and knock it away, crouching over Bolin as a shield.

That was it.

Naga was bloodied.

Bolin was almost taken away.

Korra was close to having her throat ripped out.

A familiar warmth surrounded her. She heard the wolves give frightened yelps as their weight was suddenly lifted off of her.

Her vision was blurred. No, it was intensified. The wolves who had previously blended a bit into the snow and rocks were now highly visible. They seemed to now move in slow motion as Korra slowly approached them. The wolves backed off a little knowing that something was very different about their prey at the moment.

Although they obviously could not name it, they easily sensed the power now emanating from her while she was in Avatar State.

Korra rejoined Bolin and Naga, staying close for their protection. As the wolves decided to persist in their attack, the wind suddenly picked up. They were halted as the wind hit all of them in their circle formation.

The wind turned into a full-force cyclone, the savage animals pulled up into it and flung around as ice, snow, and rocks were also lifted into the makeshift storm. They were subjected to a barrage of the elements as Korra and her friends remained safely in the eye of it. The cyclone focused up into a tornado, the end of it around Korra's hand. With one solid movement, she flung the tornado away. It dispersed as it flew over the forest, sending the wolves away for good.

The Avatar's vision returned to normal as she kneeled to the ground with a sigh. She quickly spun around on her knees to check on Naga and Bolin. The polar bear dog now sat on the ground next to Bolin, her tail wagging a bit in relief. Bolin was breathing heavily and coughing a bit, his face bright red. Fortunately, he wasn't bleeding anywhere.

Korra went to melt from snow in her hands to water, using it to heal Naga's wounds. Fortunately they weren't very deep, being that the animal's skin and fur were very thick. It didn't take long for Korra to heal her injuries as Naga licked her head in thanks.

"Careful, girl. You're going to cover Mako's scarf in drool," she slightly chuckled, going to check it for tears. Fortunately, there were no new rips in it from the near-deadly encounter. Though, as he felt it around the back of her neck, she realized something was missing.

"D-Dad's compass!" she exclaimed, looking down her jacket and shirt in alarm. It was gone. Korra stood and looked around, thinking it possibly got ripped off earlier. But it was nowhere in sight. About to go looking for it, her attention was drawn back to Bolin as he gave a few rough coughs.

That's right, Bolin needed help. He needed to be checked for injuries, just in case. They couldn't afford to stop, medicine and treatment essential right now. Korra knew her priorities, yet she couldn't keep tears from welling up in her eyes as she checked for broken bones first.

Dad's compass. No broken bones. Dad's compass. Moving on to check under his jacket for damage. But Dad's compass…

A rash.

That wasn't there before.

Korra frowned through her tears as she noticed it on his lower neck and upper chest. This was definitely not good at all. As she pulled away his hood a bit to see if it spread even more, she noticed something else missing.

Pabu wasn't in his hood. Korra grit her teeth, looking around. She looked at Naga then at her surroundings for the little, red animal. She couldn't see him anywhere.

"Pabu!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the valley. There was no response of any kind, stimulating a muffled sob from Korra. She tried to angrily wipe away her tears, her chest feeling almost too tight to breath.

Did the wolves snatch him up? Did he accidentally get swept into the cyclone? Or did he just get frightened and run away for good?

Pabu was gone. The compass was lost. And now Bolin was twice as sick. "This is all my fault…" she hoarsely let out, going to sit up the other and hold him close. _I shouldn't have suggested this. It was stupid of me to think that this journey was a good idea…_

Her wallowing in misery was short-lived as she felt something hit her shoulder. Korra quickly turned her head only to immediately bury her nose in reddish-orange fur. The familiar fire ferret had jumped onto her shoulder, now jumping back a little to look at her.

"Pabu!" she exclaimed, going to grab the small animal and hug him with her free arm. He gave a chirrup of surprise and displeasure, Korra squeezing him a little too hard. Though, from doing that, she felt something hard press into her chest.

She let go of Pabu, dropping him into Bolin lap. He let go of a cord in his mouth to cuddle up to Bolin's neck. Attached to the cord was her father's compass.

Korra felt over-flooded with joy now, her spirits greatly lifted. She went to ruffle the fur on Pabu's head, earning another small sound of displeasure from him. "Naga, lay down," she said.

The polar bear dog complied, lowering herself down. Korra pulled Bolin closer to lean him against the much-larger animal. She then hurriedly grabbed two tin canteens of seaweed noodle broth from the saddlebags. After heating them up with Fire Bending, she went to feed Bolin. At first, it dribbled out of his mouth a bit from him not swallowing. But after a bit of coaxing, Korra managed to get him to drink some. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

After drinking her own broth, Korra had everything and everyone back on Naga. It was time to keep going. Her confidence and optimism were now renewed.

. . .

_Cold… Yet hot… No, mainly cold…_

_Hazy… Everything in a blur. Cold…_

_Face cold. Everything else warm._

_Restricted… _

_Burning… Burning… On fire, it hurts… Throat hurts…_

_Cold and burning… Tired… So tired…_

_Warm neck. Hands? Being stroked?_

_Mom….. Taking care of… Mom…_

_Mommy…_

. . .

Korra was saddened as she heard Bolin muttering in his sleep. He was calling for his mother. The young Avatar greatly cared for Bolin, and was trying her hardest to help him. But she would never come close to the mother who once cared for him so many years ago. Did he remember her taking care of him whenever he got sick all those years ago?

There was certainly no way of finding out right now. And Korra felt too bad about it to ask later.

If she had to guess now, only about four more hours of riding and they would be at the port. It would be nighttime by then, so they would have to find a place to stay. Fortunately, there were a good number of small establishments around the port. It was a small trading post area, and the people there familiar with Korra would easily help her. Then they would take a ship in the morning to Republic City.

They were so close.

Bolin had started squirming around a little, suddenly. Korra could hear him groaning. Was he having a nightmare?

Suddenly, she was yanked backwards by Bolin.

"No! NO! S-Stay away!" he yelled, his voice very hoarse and strained from the infection. "No! Amon!"

Korra held on to Naga as the polar bear dog kept going. She turned her head to see that Bolin's eyes were open as he stared to the right.

Korra looked to the right, only to see barren, snowy tundra.

"Bolin- there's… no…." she struggled to get out, as Bolin jerked her back and forth.

"Stop it! Stop it! Korra! Help! Mako! Mako!" Bolin cried out, grabbing onto the young Avatar and trying to pull away.

Korra let out a small cry of pain. "B-Bolin! That hurts!" she quickly let out.

No amount of pleading would get through to him. He was hallucinating too heavily to hear anything Korra was saying.

She was taken off guard by another heavy yank from Bolin, accidentally yanking hard on Naga's reins herself. Naga gave a yelp, suddenly pulled out of line. She accidentally got tripped up, throwing her riders off her back.

Korra felt something snap as they hit the ground.


	5. Chapter 5

((Heyo! Sorry for the semi-long hiatus! I've been busy with the job hunt and getting college stuff arranged. Fun fun… So I have the rest of the fanfic planned, I just need to write it out. Bluh bluh bluh…

Okay, enough of my whining, let's get this started, even though I know you guys love cliffhangers~!))

. . .

Korra came to as something wet was roughly wiped across her cheek. The wetness quickly going cold reminded her that she was not at home, or in the air temple. She was outside in the tundra.

Bolin!

Korra quickly sat up, ignoring the wave of dizziness and ache that swept through her. She had a small coat of snow over her, as it had begun to snow. She must have been out for a few minutes. She quickly scanned the immediate area in search of the Earthbender she had been traveling with.

He wasn't incredibly far away, his back turned to Korra as he lay there motionless. Korra quickly got up, rushing over towards him. She stopped as she felt something hook her foot. She lifted her foot to pull up the buried harness that she had been using to keep Bolin close, noticing with dismay that it has snapped in one area and weakened in a few others. It couldn't be used anymore.

But that wasn't the immediate problem. She shook off the strap as she resumed heading over to Bolin's side. Kneeling beside him quickly, she ever so carefully went to turn him over. No serious injuries it looked like, though a minor concussion was possible. Pabu was huddled in his hood, trembling from being shaken up by the fall.

Korra gently checked over his body for breaks or cuts, feeling slightly optimistic that he has escaped with no injury. Unfortunately, the rash was a little more irritated now. The young Avatar grit her teeth, unable to shake off her thoughts of all the near disasters they had. It was a miracle that they had come this far under the delusion that this idea would work.

Korra's back was nudged by Naga, who was holding the broken harness in her mouth.

She let a small smile grace her lips. "I know, girl. We've made it this far. We're so close. I'm not giving up now," she said. She gave a determined nod, knowing that they needed to get moving again.

There was enough harness intact to carefully tie Bolin's wrists together. Unfortunately, it wouldn't work with carrying him behind her. There was too much of a chance that he would accidentally lean to the side and pull her down. They couldn't afford any further accidents. They were lucky this time.

Korra needed to position Bolin to where she could hang onto him. Unfortunately, he couldn't face forward, as his head leaning forward would put too much pressure on his neck. Him being in front of her and facing her would be incredibly awkward in several different ways. He would have to be sideways. Korra could tie his wrists together so that they would wrap around her waist. Then Bolin could lean back a bit against her left arm that would be holding Naga's reins. It could work, even though they would have to move just a bit slower.

Knowing what to do, Naga laid down on her stomach, preparing for them to resume travel. Korra made sure that the remaining leather strap was strong enough to hold. She scooped up Bolin gingerly, and hoisted them both up onto Naga's back. Korra brought up her leg for Bolin to lean back against as she used her hands to tie Bolin's wrists around her back. When he was secured, Pabu left his master's hood to get into Korra's, knowing he would have an easier ride there.

"We can do this, Pabu," she reassured him, going to hold Bolin close to her. She rested Bolin's head against her left shoulder, holding him as she grabbed onto the reins. "Be careful, Naga. We can't be jostled around that much this time."

Naga snuffled and stood up slowly. Knowing what Korra wanted, she took off at a gentle yet quick pace.

Korra was ready to get there now. Bolin's hot breath against her neck wasn't doing anything for her nerves.

. . .

Within five hours, they were on a ledge above the port town. The sun had just set over the horizon, darkness sweeping over them.

"Alright, nice and easy, girl," Korra said to Naga, the polar bear dog starting to descend the ledge using the path that zigzagged down it. Within a decent amount of time, they had reached the bottom. Korra kept Naga at a trotting pace, heading towards the ship docked in the port. No one was preparing it to leave, meaning that it would disembark tomorrow morning. She didn't like waiting, but at least there was a ship here.

She now focused on find a place to stay for the night. She and her father knew the owner trading market, having sold quite a few pelts and meats to him. He probably would be unable to offer them shelter though, being that he had five children and a relatively small house. Maybe there was a doctor in the town, even though Katara had said that he left for Republic City for a while. There had to be someone here with medical experience, though.

Korra headed into the streets, disappointed by how many people were already home and getting ready for bed. Fortunately, she spotted an elder woman with what looked to be her grandson, the teenage boy carrying two buckets of snow to be melted at home.

The young Avatar had Naga approach them slowly, not wanting to startle or scare them. "Excuse me," Korra raised her voice to call out.

The woman and boy stopped in their tracks, their attention now on the unfamiliar faces. "Yes?" the elder woman hesitantly asked, looking slightly intimidated by Naga. She had probably never seen a tame polar bear dog before.

"Hi, sorry to bother you. I was wondering if there was a doctor in town. We traveled a long way to take a ship back to Republic City, but it's not leaving until tomorrow. My friend is very sick," Korra explained.

The woman looked sympathetic to Korra's plight. "We don't have a doctor at the moment, but we do have an apothecary in town. He can most likely help you," she responded. "If you go further down this street, take a left at the large house, then take another left at the pine tree grove, you'll be on the street for the apothecary. Look for a sign above the door with a bowl and leaves engraved on it."

"Thank you so much," Korra said. "Have a nice night!" With that, she urged Naga in the right direction. Fortunately, the directions were very clear, as she arrived on a street with a few shops. They were all closed, including the apothecary as she arrived there. Though, it looked like there was a home attached to it, most likely belonging to the person who owned this place.

After shifting Bolin so that he was safely lying on the saddle, Korra dismounted Naga. She headed to the front door, banging on it loudly. After a few minutes, a light appeared on the other side of the window. The door was unlocked and opened a bit as an older man stood there.

"I'm sorry, but we're closed for the night," he said, looking like he had been getting ready for bed.

"I'm sorry, but I desperately need your help. We came from the Southern Water Tribe to take a ship back to Republic City. My friend is very ill with an infection, and we need a doctor. We were sent here instead. Please sir, we need a place to stay for the night, and possibly some medicine if you can spare it," she explained, ready to beg at this point if she needed to.

His brow furrowed a bit as he looked her up and down. "I know you… Oh, you're the Avatar, aren't you? I remember you used to come here with your father and hunting party many years ago. Come in, the cold is harsh here at night," he said, opening the door further for her.

Korra grinned, quickly saying, "Thank you so much!" She went to retrieve Bolin from Naga's back, holding him carefully in her arms. Naga went to get comfortable outside the shop front, curled up. "Good girl, Naga. We couldn't have done this without you." The polar bear dog wagged her tail, looking at Korra. She certainly deserved the rest.

Korra walked into the apothecary, surrounded by the various herbs and medicines on the store's shelves. She was led towards the back and through a door by the owner. His house was in fact attached to the shop, though his living room was filled with more supplies and work for him. He seemed to be the only one living here.

"Here, you can use this room," he said, bringing Korra through another door. It was a room with two beds set up in the cozy, warm room. "My spare room. Barely ever used."

"Again, thank you so much," Korra said, going to lay Bolin across the end of the bed so she could take off his damp parka.

"Let me see the problem," he said, standing beside her.

Korra nodded, carefully taking Bolin's jacket, gloves, boots, and insulated pants off. He was now in a light sweater, and regular pants. She took off his sweater and shirt too, so the elder man could see the rash. He frowned at the bright red rash as the young Avatar said, "It developed as we were traveling. He has a high fever, and an infection in his throat."

"I see… I'm not a doctor, as I often just fill prescriptions instead of doing the actual treatment. But I think I know what could help him," the man said, going to hurriedly leave the room. Korra repositioned Bolin so he was lying corrected in the bed. He had started to shiver a little again before Korra pulled the blankets partly over him.

In a few minutes, their host came back with two jars and a few cups of tea on a tray. He set it aside on the bedside table first, then picked up the larger jar. "This is a salve for the rash. It should relieve the pain and keep it from spreading."

Korra nodded, watching as he took off the top and scooped a glob of the salve out. He carefully yet liberally applied the substance to Bolin's chest, making sure everything was covered. He then set the jar aside and went to wipe off his hands thoroughly. Opening the other jar full of powder, he shook a small amount of it into one of the cups of tea. Giving it a good stir, he picked it up and propped up Bolin's head and torso a bit. Being very cautious with the hot tea, the man went to pour a little of it into the Earthbender's mouth.

Korra watched in dismay as the liquid just dribbled out again. He wasn't swallowing. Their host tried again, though Bolin just wasn't taking it. "His throat is probably very swollen… I don't know if he can drink this," the man sighed.

"No. I won't accept that," Korra said through gritted teeth. She unceremoniously grabbed the medicated tea. Since tea was mainly water, she was able to bend it. She took a mouthful-sized ball of it out of the cup with one hand and went to open Bolin's mouth with her other hand. Korra hated to be too forceful in this delicate situation, but she Waterbent the tea into his mouth. Then, with as much care as she possibly could in this action, she forced it down his throat with bending. Bolin grimaced, but managed to get it down. Korra continued to give him the tea until the cup was empty, pleased to see that he was keeping it down.

"Well, I suppose that's one unorthodox way to do it," the man said. "That should help with the swelling and irritation for now, until he can get professional care."

"Thank you, sir… This means a lot to the both of us," Korra gratefully said to him with a smile.

"It's the least I can do. Now, both of you rest up for the night. You need it," he said, going to stand up again.

Korra nodded with a grin.

"Goodnight," he said, leaving them.

She spotted Pabu curled up next to Bolin's leg, already asleep. Korra got up, taking off her own jacket and insulated clothes. She rolled her shoulders with a sigh, feeling free and loose in simple clothes again. After taking one last look over Bolin, Korra retreated to the other bed. It was comfortable and warm, a major upgrade from the past few nights they spend outside in the rough tundra.

. . .

Korra was woken up a few hours later by something small tapping her forehead. She opened her eyes to see a fire ferret's face very close to hers. "Pabu… What's up?" she hoarsely asked. The fire ferret returned to his master as Korra sat up. He was shaking a bit in his sleep, breathing a little heavily.

The young Avatar got up from bed to sit on the edge of Bolin's bed. She gently stroked his hair, trying to comfort him as he slept. After a few minutes, he managed to calm down a little.

He opened his eyes slowly, waking up a bit. Noticing Korra beside him, he looked to her.

"Hey there," she quietly said. "How are you feeling?"

Bolin didn't respond right away, just staring at her as she continued to stroke his hair. "Mom…" he eventually, hoarsely let out.

Korra sighed, not finding it reassuring at all that he was mistaking her for his deceased mother.

"I saw Mom…" he quietly continued.

Korra's eyes widened as she paled a bit. This couldn't be good.

"And Dad… They were smiling…" he slowly said. "They said they loved me… And would see me soon…"

"N-no, Bolin," Korra shakily protested.

"Said I was going to be fine soon…" he continued with small smile. "No more pain…"

"Of course there won't be any more pain, we'll have you to a doctor tomorrow," Korra quickly and urgently said.

"Korra… Be fine… I'll… be fine… Tell Mako… Sorry… So much trouble for him…" Bolin sighed, starting to drift off again.

"No. No! Bolin, stop this! It was just a dream! We're going to get you help!" Korra said, raising her voice. "Don't you dare give up now! Don't! I'll never forgive you, ever!"

Bolin just smiled a little, falling back asleep within seconds.

Korra couldn't sleep for the rest of the night, sitting at his bedside and watching him closely while holding his overly warm hand. She prayed to all the spirits that she would see his bright green eyes again.


	6. Chapter 6

((Sorry updates have been a bit spaced out! I've started a job and classes, thus my time has been very much eaten up. I know what's going to happen and how to finish this fic, though, so it will be finished! Thanks for your patience!

Without further ado, a slightly different type of chapter~))

. . .

Target after target. Fireballs, fiery kicks, blasts of flames from aimed punches. Burning, burning, and more burning.

Mako kept his mind on pro-bending, telling himself that he needed to stay in practice. Or stay in practice for participating in whatever conflict or adventure might happen next. Perhaps he would hone his lightning bending, in case he might have to provide power to generators again.

This wasn't aggression. This wasn't frustration. It was controlled. Fully controlled. Mako had control. Control over anything and everything.

No.

With a roar of aggravation, Mako hurled another fireball at a vaguely human-shaped target before him. He didn't even need to aim it at the red circle in the middle of its chest, the fireball large enough to swallow it whole. It was engulfed in the inferno, as Mako scoped out his work. His 'practice'.

Of all the targets left in the Avatar's former training ground, there were only two left. He stared at them as he caught his breath, some red ashes from the targets around spreading to them. Though, they didn't burn, only gaining blackened spots from the flying ashes.

A look of despair spread across Mako's face as he was unable to tear his gaze away. _Mom… Dad…_ he thought. _I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…. I can't save anyone. I'm useless. I couldn't help Bo…._

He felt a lump rising in this throat. He knew that he managed to raise his little brother as well as he could on the streets. And that there was nothing he could have done to save his parents. He was too young, not strong enough. But the recent turn of events killed him inside. He had always liked to believe that he had control, though he was proven time and time again that it wasn't true. Why did it have to be Bolin this time? Why couldn't he help his little brother? The one who depended on Mako for so many years?

He was yanked out of his spiraling feelings of shame by the sound of footsteps behind him. Mako took a deep breath and straightened his expression before turning around.

Korra's mother joined him, carrying a bag with her. "You missed lunch. But I managed to save some for you. Some baked fish… seaweed broth, and candied sea prunes," she said, going to take the warm, packaged food out for the young fire bender.

"I'm sorry… I'm not feeling very hungry…" he quietly refused.

Senna softly smiled, looking around at the targets, now slightly smoldering or smoking. "After training as hard as this, Korra would have such an appetite. We learned to ask her each day before she left how hard she would be working, so we would know how much food to prepare for her," she reminisced aloud.

Mako cracked a small smile, believing that completely. He looked away, scratching the back of his head. "Well, I…"

"Mako. You haven't been eating enough. I have noticed, and it makes me worry," Senna informed him, growing a little serious. "You can't keep your strength up if you don't eat."

Mako sighed. "… I know. Just… I barely have an appetite. I can't help but worry about… Well, you know."

"I understand completely," Senna reassured him.

"No," he quickly said, unable to stop himself. "You don't. You really don't. Bolin is all the family I have. He's practically been my world, my very center, and he's been that way for so many years! I've cared for him through every bump, bruise, and sickness. But this time… I couldn't do a single thing!" As he clenched his fists, intense fire flickered from them in expression of his anger.

Senna was unfazed by his rude outburst. She put the bag aside and stepped forward to stand in front of him. As she went to hold his hand with no fear of the flame, Mako quickly extinguished it in realization that it was there. She didn't hesitate, taking his hand in both of her hands.

"I have not been in the same exact situation… But I have experienced letting go of someone I love," she softly said, looking down at his hand as she rubbed it comfortingly. "It's hard. Even though you know that it's better for them to leave, for whatever reason it may be, it doesn't make it any easier. It hurts… worrying about them, knowing that if something is wrong, you can't be right there for them."

Mako grew quiet and sullen, looking at her. His rage had subsided thanks to the mother's lack of fear in her tender gesture.

"My Korra… my baby… She may be tough, and strong… confident… But she's still my little girl, going out there to face conflict and danger. While I stay here, hoping that whatever news I receive from her periodically is good," she said. "No matter what, you must hold on to hope, when there's nothing else you can hold on to."

Mako felt like a jerk now, bowing his head with a defeated sigh. "I'm sorry…" he honestly apologized.

"It's fine. Mako… I'm sure that your parents are proud of you," Senna softly said.

He grimaced, forcing back tears. He couldn't cry. He never cried. Crying was a weakness, something that made him seem less strong and reliable. "How? I betrayed them. I made a vow to protect Bolin. But here I am, sitting around and waiting, relying on Korra to save him. I trust Korra, but it's her that's doing the work. I'm doing nothing. Absolutely nothing…"

"No. You've made everything happen, by making a choice that was painful yet right," Senna simply disagreed.

Mako broke at the sound of that. He fell to his knees as Senna remained holding his hand. He let out a strangled sob. It _was_ a painful decision. He had made so many decisions after his parents passed on, blindly hoping and believing that they were correct. Hearing Korra's mother have faith in Mako and his brother gave him so much relief through all the worry, though he was still being eaten alive by the anxiety.

Senna knelt beside him, pulling him close to her, the feeling of her motherly warmth something that Mako had not experienced in such a long time. She provided him a shoulder and a warm embrace as his pent up stress was relieved. Destroying the training ground's targets did not compare to this.

Mako glanced through his tears at the two remaining intact targets as Senna did her best to sooth him. Two targets that where meant to be destroyed… unlike the loving parents he lost so many years ago.

"Everything will be fine, Mako… Have faith in Korra. And especially have faith in Bolin."


	7. Chapter 7

((So yeah, I've been busy. Between school, factory work, loan and scholarship searching, apartment planning… Ugh.

Anyways, let's get on to the next chapter, since you have expressed that if I do not update, I will die~ Probably three chapters left. Btw, I like doing bonus chapters at the end of stories. Something related to the story in some topic from it, but not always a direct continuation. If you have any requests or suggestions, I welcome them~

Anyways, here you go!))

. . .

Bolin managed to last another night. Though Korra barely did, unable to sleep or relax after the last little talk that she had with the other as the past night had fallen. She was afraid in a way that she had never been before. At the crack of dawn, Korra started packing up their things, including the medicine that their gracious host gave to them. Of course Bolin would receive better medicine and care from Republic City doctors, but they still had one last leg of their journey to complete before then.

As she was finishing up, there was a light knock on the door. "Come in," Korra softly called out, though it felt awkward to give someone to permission to enter when it wasn't even her house.

The apothecary owner stepped in. "Good morning. How is he?"

"He's… decent. He's getting worse, but not past help, I think," she quietly said, looking away.

He nodded. "You're taking the medicine I gave you with you, right?" he asked.

"Yes, it's packed up. Thank you so much for helping us," Korra expressed.

"Of course. Anything for someone in need," he said with a smile.

Korra thought to herself for a moment. "I actually have one last request, if it's not too much trouble…"

. . .

Naga had been happy to see Korra come outside, licking the young Avatar's cheek before she had a chance to start packing their bags on the laying-down polar bear dog. She finished the task quickly, as their host supported Bolin nearby.

Korra took the Earth Bender from him, hoisting him up onto Naga's back first. She then carefully mounted in front of him. With her brand new length of rope gifted to them by their very cordial host, Korra comfortably tied the other to her in the same fashion that she had previously, before their last leather strap snapped in the fall.

"You have no idea how much I appreciate this. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't found you," Korra said as Naga stood up.

"It was no trouble at all. It was an honor to aid you, young Avatar," he said, bowing his head.

"Really, I need to show my appreciation. I don't have anything right now to give you… But whenever any men come into this town's marketplace with meat or pelts from hunting, ask for Tonraq. He's my father. Just tell him you helped me and Bolin, and he'll gladly reward you," she instructed him.

"No, that's all right. Don't worry about it."

"No. Please… Please accept it as repayment for helping us. You deserve it," she insisted.

The man chuckled. "Alright, alright… Thank you. Now get going, the ship should be leaving with an hour or two."

Korra nodded with a broad smile. "Take care!" With that, she urged Naga into a quick pace, heading back the way they came here last night.

Retracing their steps, she guided the polar bear dog back to the port. Korra was delighted to see that they were still packing up, relatively close to finishing. Looking around, she was able to spot a man who seemed to be in charge, directing the men moving cargo. "Excuse me!" Korra called out as she had Naga slowly approach him. This wasn't the same man who gave her a ride to the city a long while ago, so she didn't want to risk scaring him with her mount. Animals of Naga's species tended to be more… feral.

He looked up to her with a hardened gaze. It was easy to tell that he wasn't going to be quite as accommodating at the apothecary owner.

"I would like to ride on your ship with you to Republic City," Korra stated.

"You can pay me somehow?" he practically demanded.

"W-well, I don't have anything at the moment… We're traveling light. But I'm the Avatar! I train on Air Nomad Island, so Tenzin can compensate you for this," she said. Korra felt a little bit bad for volunteering Tenzin without him knowing about it, but desperate times called for desperate measures, after all.

The man went silent, considering it in his head as he looked her up and down. Spotting Bolin behind her, he asked, "What's with him?"

"This is my friend. He's really sick… I need to get him back to the city to see a doctor," she explained, hoping to gain some sympathy.

"Nope," he instantly said at that, sending Korra's heart into her stomach from surprise and fear.

"What? Wait, you're saying we can't ride with you?" she shakily asked.

"Of course not. I don't want him getting my crew sick. Just take him to a doctor here," he said, waving her away as he turned to look back at his business.

"There is no doctor here!" Korra responded, raising her voice a bit.

The man didn't acknowledge her, looking down to his clipboard as everything was almost done being packed up.

Korra pushed Naga forward and around to bring them into his line of sight again. "We'll ride in your cargo hold! He really needs to get back before… b-before he dies," she loudly declared, saying something that she hadn't wanted to admit out load.

"I'm sorry, but I can't risk spreading whatever he has," he firmly rejected.

"What if I just get on? What if I ignore your decision?!" she threatened, having Naga take a few steps forward towards the ship.

The man looked to some of his strong workers and nodded to them. They came over, getting in Korra's way. They weren't even intimidated by Naga growling in response.

"Good luck," the man said in a rather snide tone. The large loading door closed up as he headed towards the narrow gangplank. There was no way Naga could fit on it, or even step on it without tipping it over.

Korra's heart beat fast and heavy as tense fury spread over her. "If he dies, it's your fault!" she practically screamed as they were left there on their own. There was no reaction to her attempt to guilt them. Korra tightly bit her lip to quell the tears forming in her eyes, tasting blood.

That was when she spotted it.

The ship would have to sail through a somewhat narrow passage between two cliffs. It was the only way to get out of this port. If Korra headed back along the steep path that they had used to get down the tundra ridge and into the town, they would be able to make their way to the edge of the cliff on the right side of the opening.

Without a second thought, Korra quickly spurred Naga towards the path. She felt bad about jostling Bolin, but they needed to get up there as fast at they could. The ropes securing the ship to the dock were being detached.

It was reckless, but Korra had her polar bear dog ascend the narrow, zigzag path up the ledge as quickly as she could manage. Naga panted from the exertion, the steep path tiring her out quickly.

"Come on Naga, please hang in there, we can do this, come on girl," Korra urgently encouraged the animal as they made their way up. The ship was slowly turning to face its nose towards the passage.

They reached the top, Korra guiding Naga toward the cliff. They ran along the edge of the ledge as it turned into a cliff. "Pabu, get into my jacket and hold on," she commanded, pulling on the jacket's collar and looking towards the fire ferret in Bolin's pulled up hood. The small animal understood the motion, and quite possibly what was about to happen, moving from Bolin to Korra's shoulder, then down into her jacket. He nestled himself between Korra's outer jacket and thinner under jacket.

They reached the cliff above the passage as the ship was close to reaching it. The young Avatar grit her teeth, realizing that from the edge off the cliff to where the ship would be passing through was more of a distance than she thought. Not to mention that it was pretty far below them.

"I'm going to have to Air Bend. Spirits, please let this work," she groaned. She wouldn't even be considering this if the situation weren't so dire. Korra took some deep breaths in preparation. "I can do this… I know I can…"

She turned Naga around, giving them distance for a good running start. Naga knew what was coming, lowering her head and whimpering. "Don't worry, girl. Trust me… We can do this. Trust me…" she slowly said in a reassuring tone, despite the wild beating of her heart and the shakiness of her hands gripping the reins. She hoped she wasn't unknowingly lying.

The ship came into a good location. Korra pressed her heels sharply into Naga's sides. The polar bear dog took off into a bound, not slowing down as they reached the edge. She jumped as far and as hard as she could.

They wouldn't make it. Not like this.

But now it was Korra's turn. She squeezed her legs around Naga's sides, holding on tight that way for both her and Bolin's sake as she released the reins from her hands.

Harnessing the same fear she had felt after Amon blocked her bending and threatened Mako, she channeled a strong gust of air under Naga.

They were carried forward a little more, safely over the deck of the ship. She then directed the air to cushion around them as they approached their destination. Their plummeting rate was slowed to a directed fall.

They touched down successfully, Naga planting her feet firmly on the deck. She lowered herself down onto her stomach, shaking from the excitement and fear as Korra lovingly petted her neck.

"Hey!" a familiar voiced barked out. The same guy who had rejected them earlier approached them. "I said you couldn't board!"

"Well, I took it as more of a suggestion than an order," she spitefully expressed, sneering at him.

The man was red in the face from anger. He couldn't throw them off into the freezing water, and he couldn't turn the ship around. "Why don't I direct you to the cargo hold," he said through gritted teeth and a forced smile, wanting them away from the crew.

Korra was unnerved from his sudden change of hospitality. She knew this wasn't the end of it. He couldn't do anything to her. But that didn't mean that he couldn't have her handled by the authorities at Republic City's port.

. . .

The young Avatar ran her fingers through Bolin's hair as she held him close. She set up their blankets against Naga's warm stomach, setting Bolin down and pulling another blanket over the both of them. She had made sure to give him some more medicine before settling down for the ride. Pabu was curled up by Naga's leg, though he kept an eye on the humans.

"Just a little longer, Bolin… We'll be back soon…" she reassured him, though he was deeply asleep. "Just… hang on… We made it this far… Don't give up on me now…"

She was only met by silence from her companion.

Korra let a pained smile cross her face. "Remember when I said that you're one of a kind? You know that I meant it, right? I didn't just say it because you said it to me before that. The world would really be missing out on someone special if you gave up now…. And you know, I did like those flowers you brought me. I know I love Mako, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate all that you've done for me…"

Bolin shifted a little bit as Korra continued to stroke his hair.

"Where would I be if you hadn't been there when I was caught at the pro-bending arena? I wouldn't have met you and Mako. I certainly couldn't have handled Amon without everyone's help… It's thanks to you that I made all my friends," she continued, trying to keep the thought out of her mind that she was most likely talking to herself.

Korra looked to Naga's as she kept a comforting hand around Bolin's head and on his cheek. The polar bear dog lifted her head and ears a bit at the sight of her human friend's attention.

"Listen to me, girl. Please, for the love of all things magical, understand me. You have a very important job when we get back. It's all on you then," she let out, her serious demeanor returning for this.

. . .

Bolin was positioned differently as they headed towards the exit of the cargo hold, the sun starting to set. He was up in front this time, wrists secured by rope to Naga's harness. Some of the rope had been cut so that Bolin's ankles were tied to the stirrups.

Her suspicions turned out to be true.

Practically a whole sector of Republic City's law enforcement was waiting for her. The ship's coordinator had radioed ahead and alerted them of the stowaways on board. Some looked a bit surprised to see that the trespasser was the Avatar, but that didn't mean that Korra would get out of this. She learned quite a while ago that Avatar status meant next to nothing in the face of the law.

Korra gently spurred Naga forward, going to rub her hand up and down Bolin's back to reassure herself.

"Avatar Korra, you are under the law for trespassing onto private transportation, assault with a deadly animal, and attempted biological warfare," one of them called out.

Korra bristled at how highly exaggerated the last two accusations were, but she couldn't afford to let it get under her skin.

"I'm the Avatar! I am above your puny, human laws!" she shouted out defiantly, standing on Naga's back, where she had been previously mounted. "I'd like to see you try to subdue ME!"

"Korra…." Bolin suddenly groaned, actually load enough to be heard.

The young Avatar was momentarily distracted from her plan, looking down at the other in shock.

The Metal Bending law enforcers seized the opportunity, Korra getting knocked sideways by a cable attempting to wrap around her torso. Korra was knocked off of Naga's back.

"N-Naga! Go! GO, GIRL!" she screamed. This wasn't right. She didn't plan for this. The signal was for Korra to lightly kick the polar bear dog's rump as she went to jump off backwards. Not for Korra to give a verbal command.

But tears of relief threatened to spill from her eyes as Naga understood anyways, bolting off. Korra managed to shake off the metal cable as a few of the officers went to try to snag Naga with their cables. She hastily sent two blasts of fire as a warning shot beside them, very successfully drawing their attention to her.

To gain every single officer's undivided attention, she quickly drew a spiral of water from the gap between the ship and the dock, enveloping herself in it. Korra raised above the ground, everything below her hips shielded by the raging tornado of water.

"You must be morons if you think you can stop the Avatar!" she challenged.

It worked, all of the officers sending their cables at her. Korra fought them off until Naga and her important cargo were well out of sight.

The Metal Benders, their cables wrapped around her limbs, torso, and neck, subdued her. She couldn't move to Bend anymore, no matter how hard she would try. But that was okay.

_As long as you get him to the hospital… Keep him safe… I know you can, Naga._


	8. Chapter 8

((Sorry for the very spaced out updates. Things have gotten sort of hectic for me, and the motivation to work on this hasn't been there that much. Fortunately, the story is drawing to a close within another few chapters, so you won't have to put up with my cliffhangers much longer~

By the way, I hope I'm not going too OOC for the characters. I kind of like to write stuff with character development, and events that can really affect the characters. So I go kind of deeper into reactions, changes, and feelings than the original shows usually do.

Anyways, here is the next chapter~))

. . .

Korra fidgeted in her holding cell, tapping her foot impatiently and twiddling her thumbs. She had spent the last few hours in here, sitting around and occasionally getting up to pace the small room back and forth. Her diversion had worked, but the law enforcement of the city were none too pleased about declarations and assertions of how powerful she was. Above the law? Yes, Korra knew by now that the Avatar wasn't exempt, compared to her first arrival here when she thought that flashing her title would get her out of anything. That didn't mean that the officers understood or exercised any hurry in getting Tenzin to bail her out.

Bolin… How was he? Had Naga managed to understand Korra and find the hospital? The seclusion and quiet here was driving her insane…

Though, she shot to her feet as soon as the door to her cell opened. She was a little less than pleased to see that her rescuer was the former chief of police. Lin Beifong. There was someone possibly a little less than understanding over breaking the law, even if she did forsake her position to help the Avatar with bringing down Amon.

"H-hey…" Korra hesitantly let out, looking away.

Lin rolled her eyes and sighed. "Come on, then."

With that, the young Avatar followed her out of the cell, passing by the officers who had captured and guarded her. Characteristically, she would have made some sort of snide gesture to gloat her release. This time, though, she was too concerned with current events to take pride in her successful distraction and release.

"Tenzin's busy today," Lin said as they left the building. "He's been busy every day, trying to restore order to the city."

"So they called you?" Korra asked.

"Not exactly. Purely by chance, I happened to be passing the hospital when I spotted animal control trying to remove a familiar-looking polar bear dog from the lobby," Lin replied.

Korra visibly brightened at that news. "Really? Oh, that's excellent!"

Lin's expression demonstrated that the enthusiasm wasn't shared.

"Well… They were taking Bolin there. Because he's sick. He needed a doctor really fast, and getting stuck in jail probably wouldn't be very helpful. So… yeah," Korra said, looking ever-so-slightly ashamed.

Lin pieced together the rest of the story from there. "Alright then, I suppose we should head right over. Animal control wasn't having a very easy time extracting your furry steed," she said, motioning for Korra to get into a car nearby.

Korra hopped in, ecstatic yet anxious at the same time over the news. Bolin was at the hospital! But would he be okay?

The drive there was rather quiet, Korra too wrapped up in her thoughts as she tensely sat in the front passenger seat. Fortunately, the building wasn't incredibly far away, Lin getting there in a good amount of time. Korra practically flew out of the vehicle with only a very hurried 'thank you' to the elder woman. Lin rolled her eyes in response. No longer needed here, she left to seek out Tenzin. He could probably use a good warning that the Avatar was back.

. . .

Korra was overwhelmed by embarrassment as she stepped into the lobby. All heads turned to her, everyone knowing who the polar bear dog belonged to. Who was currently sitting on a now crushed row of chairs in the waiting room, looking rather pleased with herself. And Pabu was contenting himself with feasting on every mint candy he could find at the reception desk.

Despite the anticipation of finding out her friend's condition, first things came first. Korra practically dragged Naga out of the lobby. She had trouble getting the animal out through the front door, wondering how she even got in earlier by herself. With Naga outside, Korra returned and snatched up Pabu with a displeased frown. She pinned the fire ferret to her shoulder, who was madly trying to scramble towards another bowl of mints nearby.

"Do I really need to say who I'm here for?" Korra huffed to the receptionist.

"No, I think we got the picture," she said with a hesitant smile. She went to page the doctor who had been in charge of treating Bolin. In a minute, they were joined by him, who motioned for Korra to follow him.

"So, how is he?" Korra immediately asked barely after they first started walking.

"Not very well, honestly. We have managed to stabilize his condition, and are giving him medicine. We're optimistic that he'll recover, as he seems to have been brought here just in time. But we're not getting our hopes up. There's even the possibility of permanent damage from the fever. But only time will tell right now," the doctor informed her as he guided her towards Bolin's room.

Korra was unsure what to make of that prognosis. She knew Bolin was strong, but she couldn't help worrying at the same time. "I see…"

"We'll be keeping him here for a while to make sure he gets close attention and thorough treatment," the doctor said as they reached the room. "He's resting now, so please don't disturb him."

Korra nodded in return, leaving the doctor to enter the room. It was a room made for four people, the beds sectioned off by curtains. Korra went to the far side of the room by the window, were Bolin was resting.

She sighed when she saw him, not very pleased with his appearance. He was still flushed red with fever, and the rash had spread up his neck and a little on his arm. But it looked like ointment had been applied, and a medicinal IV was being used on him.

More than anything, Korra hated waiting. She was slightly infamous for her patience. But she took a seat nearby anyways, unable to bring herself to leave right now. Pabu left her shoulder to curl up on the bed next to Bolin's leg.

Korra closed her eyes to doze a little, realizing how tired she was from the trip here. She couldn't do much else for the moment anyways.

. . .

Tenzin arrived as the sun had begun to set on the horizon. He quietly made his way over to Korra's side, noticing her sleeping while sitting up. He had brought dinner for her, setting it aside on the windowsill for now.

As if sensing his presence, her eyes cracked open as her head raised. "Master Tenzin…" she let out with a yawn.

"Good evening Korra. I heard about what happened," he said. "Sorry I couldn't get to your sooner."

"Well, things worked out anyways," Korra said, shrugging it off. Though, there was still the issue of Bolin recovering.

"I guess I'm in for an interesting tale of what led up to this," he said with a small smile.

Korra nodded. "Oh, but first, I need to ask a favor. Bolin and I left everyone behind down in the South Pole, because we needed to travel fast and light. I'm sure Mako is worried sick right now…" she explained.

"It's been very busy in this city since Amon was defeated… But I think I can spare the time to get them," he replied.

"Thanks," Korra said with a smile.

He nodded. "You should get some rest back at Air Temple Island. You certainly look like you've had a long and rough trip," he suggested.

Korra hadn't come across a mirror yet, but she could imagine how terrible and roughed-up she looked. Despite that, she couldn't bring herself to leave Bolin alone. "Thanks, but… I think I'll stay here for tonight," the young Avatar declined.

"Alright. Just try to rest and relax, at least," he said. "I'll take Oogi down to the South Pole tomorrow. If we go nonstop, I should get there within a day…"

Korra nodded. "Thanks, again."

"You're welcome, Avatar Korra."

. . .

"It's been almost five days since she left," Mako let out, running his hands through his hair as he sat at the table in Senna and Tonraq's house. It was close to noon.

"I understand you're worried, but you need to trust Korra. I'm sure everything is fine," Asami tried to reassure him.

Senna brought two bowls of fish stew to the table for her guests.

"I'm not hungry…" Mako declined.

"You need to eat something," Senna sighed with a hint of pleading to her voice. "You haven't eaten anything yesterday, either."

"I'm just not hungry," he repeated, a bit annoyed now.

Asami was ready to lose her temper with him. As she opened her mouth to give him a firm scolding and lecture, the door burst open. Tonraq quickly stepped in. "Master Tenzin is here," he quickly informed them.

Mako instantly got up and rushed past him out the door.

Asami sighed, but then turned to Senna with a smile. "Thank you for everything. I know we all appreciate it," she said, speaking for Mako as well.

"Of course. You all take care of yourselves, and stop by again sometime. I'll make some more Sea Plum Pie for you," Senna said.

Asami managed to keep herself from grimacing at the thought of the taste of sea plums. "Thanks… I look forward to it," she convincingly lied. She gave Senna a quick hug and Tonraq a handshake and a smile. With that, she headed out the door to rejoin Mako.

He had already gotten pretty far, though, having reached Tenzin and Oogi at the entrance of the Southern Water Tribe Compound. "How's my brother?" he quickly asked, running up to the Airbending Master.

"He's recovering at the hospital in Republic City. He and Korra reached it the day before yesterday. He'll be fine, they just want to keep a close eye on him for a little while," Tenzin explained with a reassuring smile.

Mako visibly relaxed at that, incredibly relieved to hear that Bolin and Korra survived the trip. "… And Korra?" Mako asked.

"Very tired and bruised, but good. She's staying at the hospital with Bolin until you get there. So we should probably hurry back so she can get some good rest," Tenzin chuckled.

Mako nodded with a small smile. He couldn't even express how appreciative he was of Korra, and he only loved and admired her more for saving Bolin. His thoughts had been focused on his brother for the past days, but now he realized that he couldn't wait to see Korra, too.

"Let's just give Oogi a quick rest. I could use some lunch, too," Tenzin sighed, a bit worn out from the trip here. Oogi flopped down into the snow, stretching then resting.

Mako hated having to wait more, but he understood. As Tenzin left to grab something to eat, Mako leaned against the giant, furry sky bison. He felt so much more at ease now, knowing that everything went fine.

When Asami rejoined him, she didn't even need to ask if everything was all right. Just looking at Mako now compared to earlier, she could tell that things were fine.


End file.
